Perez pitched six solid innings while working behind a number of hitters, the first six Texas batters reached for an early lead and the Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox 6-2 on Sunday.

"The thing that I like is that he continues to search and find ways to get himself out of the inning," manager Jeff Banister said. "He seemed to throw just enough strikes to get them into swing mode. There's still a learning process, but it's getting better."

Prince Fielder hit a two-run homer for the Rangers, who are 11-0-1 in series since getting swept at Oakland in mid-May. Texas improved to 8-1 in deciding games this season.

Perez (7-4) was working on a shutout before Bryce Brentz hit a solo drive with two out in the sixth for his first major league homer. Perez matched the longest winning streak of his career, from 2013, despite throwing more balls than strikes into the fifth inning.

"Sometimes with the first pitch, trying to throw a strike and sometimes to push the ball there," said Perez, who improved to 6-1 in Arlington. "And I can't do that anymore. Sometimes you're trying to push the ball and you miss. You miss close, but you miss."

Shin-Soo Choo, Ian Desmond, Nomar Mazara and Adrian Beltre opened Texas' three-run first with four straight singles. The last two drove in a run apiece, to go along with Rougned Odor's blooper to left against Clay Buchholz (3-8).

Buchholz issued two of his season-high five walks in the first inning of his second start since coming back from a brief demotion to the bullpen. He gave up seven hits and five runs — four earned — in 5⅓ innings, falling to 1-6 against Texas.

"There was a stretch where we've seen in a number of his starts where he was very good, but there's an inning inside of it that's the one you can point to," manager John Farrell said.

One More TimeDavid Ortiz pinch-hit with two runners on in the eighth inning of the retiring slugger's final regular-season game in Texas. It prompted a move to lefty reliever Jake Diekman and a standing ovation from the crowd, including plenty of Rangers fans.

Ortiz pulled a run-scoring single through the shift in right before Travis Shaw flied out. Former closer Shawn Tolleson pitched a scoreless ninth for a Texas bullpen that surrendered four runs with two outs in the ninth of an 8-7 loss in the opener.

Up NextRHP Chi Chi Gonzalez is set for his first appearance of the season in the opener of a four-game series at the Yankees on Monday night. He was 3-5 with a 4.03 ERA in 10 starts as a rookie last year. Texas optioned lefty reliever Alex Claudio to Triple-A Round Rock after Sunday's game to make room for Gonzalez.